nonessentials
nonessentials — 形容詞
1. describing something that you can do without — it adds little or no value to a t
非必要的
可省略，少了也不影響運作的
describing something that you can do without — it adds little or no value to a task, plan, or situation, so removing it would not cause harm.
Manuela cut every nonessential item from the family budget after her hours were reduced.
Manuela 在工時被砍之後，把家裡預算中每一項非必要的開銷都刪掉了。
attributive: nonessential + noun (budget item)
During the storm, the hospital postponed all nonessential surgeries until the power was stable.
暴風雨期間，醫院把所有非必要的手術都延後，直到電力穩定為止。
common collocation: nonessential surgeries / procedures / appointments
The new manager told the team that long status meetings were nonessential and a waste of time.
新來的主管告訴團隊，冗長的進度會議是非必要的，純粹浪費時間。
predicative: be + nonessential, often paired with a value judgement
Walid packed only one small bag and left every nonessential gadget at home before the hike.
Walid 出發爬山前只帶了一個小背包，把每一樣非必要的電子用品都留在家裡。
City officials shut down nonessential services for two days to save fuel during the heatwave.
市府為了在熱浪期間節省燃料，把非必要的市政服務停擺了兩天。
frequent collocation: nonessential services / staff / travel
- nonessential services
- nonessential travel
- nonessential staff
- nonessential spending
- nonessential surgeries
- inessential
more formal; almost identical in meaning but rarer in everyday speech
- unnecessary
wider scope — includes things that are unwanted, not just things you can do without
- dispensable
emphasises that the thing can be removed without loss; often used of staff, equipment, or details
- superfluous
formal; suggests the thing is more than is needed, often in writing or argument
- essential
the direct opposite — something you cannot do without
- vital
stronger — essential for life, safety, or success
- indispensable
emphasises that the thing or person cannot be replaced
文法句型
nonessential + noun
be nonessential
用法筆記
Frequently attributive in fixed collocations such as 'nonessential services / travel / spending / surgeries', often in news and policy contexts. As a predicative ('this is nonessential'), it usually carries an implicit judgement that the thing should be cut or postponed.
常見錯誤
2. in biology and nutrition, describing a nutrient — usually an amino acid or fatty
非必需的
身體可自行合成、不需從食物攝取的
in biology and nutrition, describing a nutrient — usually an amino acid or fatty acid — that the human body can build for itself in large enough amounts, so it does not have to come from food.
Glutamine is a nonessential amino acid that the liver produces during normal digestion.
麩醯胺酸是一種非必需胺基酸，肝臟在正常消化過程中就會自行製造。
core collocation: nonessential amino acid
The textbook explained that nonessential nutrients can be skipped in a healthy adult's daily diet.
課本上說，對健康的成年人而言，非必需的營養素就算每天沒攝取也沒關係。
attributive: nonessential + nutrient
Dr. Noa told her patients that some nonessential fatty acids are still useful for skin and heart health.
Noa 醫師告訴病人，有些非必需脂肪酸對皮膚和心臟健康還是很有幫助。
extension to fatty acids, with a name + role to anchor the scene
Children sometimes need extra protein because their growing bodies cannot make every nonessential amino acid quickly enough.
小孩有時需要額外的蛋白質，因為成長中的身體無法快速合成每一種非必需胺基酸。
- nonessential amino acid
- nonessential fatty acid
- nonessential nutrient
- dispensable
used in biochemistry as a near-synonym for 'nonessential' when describing amino acids
- essential
the matching technical term — must be obtained from the diet
文法句型
nonessential + amino acid / nutrient / fatty acid
用法筆記
Only used attributively before a biology term (amino acid, fatty acid, nutrient). Distinguish from sense 1: here 'nonessential' is a neutral biochemical category, not a judgement about value. The body still uses these substances — the label just means food intake is not required.
常見錯誤
同根字
- essential形容詞B1
- essence名詞B2
- essentially副詞B2
- nonessential名詞C1